


Kid Pro Quo

by glittering_git



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Childless by choice, Discussions of society’s pressures to have children, Established Relationship, Happy Ending, Harry Potter Epilogue What Epilogue | EWE, Light Angst, M/M, Miscommunication, Promises, Surrogacy, pinky promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:14:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23497360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glittering_git/pseuds/glittering_git
Summary: Harry and Draco had always said they wanted children, and their time had finally come: they were married, they had an appointment with a fertility doctor, and they had chosen the best surrogate mother. There was only one problem: Draco wasn’t so sure that was what he wanted anymore. But how could he tell Harry?
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 21
Kudos: 163
Collections: Draco tops Harry 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to grace for this great prompt! I think that the topic of choosing not to have children and still being able to live a fulfilling life is an important one, and I am always interested in exploring it in my fic. I hope I did it justice, grace. 
> 
> A huge shoutout to my betas, [EvAEleanor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvAEleanor), without whom this fic would not have been possible, and [p1013](https://archiveofourown.org/users/p1013), for making sure everything was in tip-top shape and for the title! 
> 
> And a big thank you to the mods for putting on this fest and for being patient with me and others as we all navigate these challenging times ♥

Draco looked out at the dancing crowd and couldn’t help the smile that overtook his face. Lucius would be horrified by the ease with which a Malfoy was smiling in _public_ , but well, he wasn’t here to judge, now was he? Blaise had thought it would only be polite to invite the parents of his best man, but Draco had quickly disabused him of the notion. Besides, his parents were completely happy at their French villa and would not step foot in Britain again for anything less than the birth of Draco’s first child. 

While the Weasley’s Burrow was not the location he had chosen for his own wedding, he couldn’t deny that it was a beautiful place for a ceremony. The setting sun cast a warm glow over guests and decorations alike, painting the evening in soft shades. Blaise was resplendent in his wedding garb, wearing a mix of Muggle and Wizarding fashion that was all the rage. His dove grey robe was fastened tight around his throat and then opened wide to reveal a white button-up and matching cummerbund tucked into a smart pair of trousers. Not to be outdone, Ginevra was stunning in a simple and elegant white gown, the gossamer strands running from her shoulder to wrist making her appear fae-like. 

“Excuse me,” came a voice from Draco’s left. 

Draco turned, already knowing who would be there. Even though Blaise was certainly the man of the evening, Draco thought the man in front of him was an extremely close second. Dressed exquisitely in a classic Muggle suit that appeared tailor-made, every line in the man’s lean form was expertly emphasized. 

“Would you do me the honor of sharing a dance?” Harry asked, lowering his gaze and bowing slightly, which only served to make the suit jacket stretch more tightly over his broad shoulders. 

Draco stared. 

Harry looked up and smirked. The bastard knew exactly what he was doing. “Cat got your tongue?” 

“It’s not my tongue that I’m concerned with at the moment,” Draco responded. “If we weren’t in the middle of a very public gathering, I’d show you exactly what my problem is.” 

“Later, then. I’ll hold you to it,” Harry said with promise. “In the meantime, a dance?”

Draco shook his head fondly. “I’m not sure that would be wise. Can you assure me that my toes will remain safe?” He looked down pointedly at Harry’s dress shoes, which were a fair bit heavier than his normal trainers. 

“I can assure you that my dancing has much improved since fourth year, as you very well know.”

“If I recall, that’s not what happened last time,” Draco couldn’t help but argue. 

“Draco, are you really going to hold me accountable for last time? If _I_ recall correctly, you weren’t doing so well last time either.” 

Draco tried to look at Harry with a stern face, but couldn’t manage it for long. “Oh, all right,” he capitulated. “We can both be forgiven for our transgressions, since it _was_ a special occasion.” 

“I’m glad you think of our wedding so fondly,” Harry teased, the smile evident in his voice. “So, a dance, Mr Potter-Malfoy?” 

He gracefully bowed. “I accept, Mr Potter-Malfoy.” 

Harry held out his hand and Draco took it without a second thought. 

~~~

After a few turns around the dance floor—and it was true, Harry’s dancing abilities had improved drastically—Draco was swept into a conversation with Luna.

“Aren’t they simply stunning?” Luna asked dreamily.

“Yes, they do make quite the pair.” While there were many others on the dance floor, Ginevra and Blaise still managed to capture the attention of guests and staff alike. Draco could see one server simply observing the couple rather than making the rounds as he was supposed to. 

“You and Harry didn’t look so bad yourselves.” 

“Well, if there’s one thing a Malfoy won’t stand for, it’s an ill-prepared dance partner. Besides, we had to make up for our gaffe of a last dance at our own wedding.” 

“Aw, no one really minded,” Luna assured. “You were both so happy, and besides, it does the soul good to loosen up now and again. You hold yourself too stiffly,” she gently reprimanded. She peered intensely at the space just over Draco’s left shoulder. “I can already see that you’re due for another cleansing soon.” 

Draco sighed. He knew that she was right—he could feel it in the tightness in his chest—but he simply didn’t have the time. The busy season for work was coming up, and they also had to worry about the upcoming surrogacy. It’d taken them months to get an appointment with Dr Bevins, the best fertility doctor in the country. 

“If it’s the surrogacy that’s holding you back, please don’t let it. As I’ve expressed to both of you, I really don’t mind waiting. Because I’m a witch, my biological clock is not the same as a Muggle’s. There’s no rush. You and Harry can take all the time you need.” 

That was just it. They’d already taken so much time. When they had started dating, one of the first things they’d bonded over was their desire for children; Harry because he’d never had a proper family growing up and wanted more than anything to be a father, and Draco because that was what his family expected and he didn’t think it’d be so bad, especially with Harry by his side. 

“We’ve already taken a lot of time. We both said we wanted to start having children as soon as we could, and we’ve already been married for almost a year. We finally got an appointment and we have you—our wonderful surrogate mother. There’s no reason to wait any longer,” Draco said in a rush, and he could hear the note of desperation in his voice. It had been taking a while, but he still needed more time. 

“If that’s what you both want,” Luna said, like it was that simple. Like if one of them wasn’t so sure anymore, he could just say that, and everything would be okay. “As I said before, I don’t mind when it happens. I’m more than happy to be your surrogate now or in a few years.” 

“We really can’t thank you enough for offering.” Even in the midst of an existential crisis, Draco had manners, thank you very much. 

“Even though I have no desire to raise children of my own, I’m immensely curious about the childbirth process. This will be an eye-opening time for us all.”

As Draco looked out on the splendor of the Weasley-Zabini celebrations, spotting the young children running amok amongst the crowd, he couldn’t help but agree. This was going to be an eye-opening time indeed.


	2. Chapter 2

Pansy was lounging insouciantly on Draco’s favorite chaise, a bottle of his favorite red in her hand, looking for all the world like she owned the place. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?” Draco asked as he stepped forward from the fireplace, brushing soot from his robes. Harry had stayed late at work, so Draco had been looking forward to a quiet evening. “It’s not Tuesday, is it? I know I’ve been busy, but I still have a handle on the days of the week.” 

Pansy shook her head slightly, lifted the bottle up to her mouth and took a long gulp. 

“Then my question still stands. And would it kill you to use a glass? It’s like you were raised by heathens,” he muttered fondly, raising his wand and summoning a pair of wine glasses from the bar cart and gently taking the bottle from Pansy’s hand. He filled both glasses halfway, and then, with a worried glance at Pansy, continued pouring until the bottle was empty. “Here, you’re welcome.” 

Pansy took the proffered glass and still said nothing. It was starting to worry Draco. This was very uncharacteristic behaviour for her. Well, drinking wine and lounging were all normal, but the silence was not. 

“I’ll ask once more, Pans. Why are you here? What happened? And please, the faster you can provide a response, the sooner I’ll be able to breathe properly.” 

“You always were a drama queen.”

“You do not have any room to talk, my dear. The pair of us both could have been professional queens if we so chose.” 

“Well, thank goodness we both have too much respect for ourselves to ever pursue that.” 

Draco just looked at her, and they both erupted into laughter. They’d been through too much to take a statement like that seriously.

When they both had regained their composure, Draco set his wine glass down and went to sit on the chaise with Pansy. She slid onto her back, putting her head in Draco’s lap. Draco began to gently card his fingers through her hair, as he had done countless times at Hogwarts and beyond. “Will you please tell me what’s on your mind?” 

Pansy let out a breath that Draco could feel, steeling herself. “It’s Millie.” 

“Millie, what happened? Is she hurt?” 

“No, it’s worse. She’s pregnant.” 

A small sound escaped Draco’s lips at that. 

“Don’t laugh at my pain; it’s rude.” Pansy pouted, but she didn’t move away, so Draco knew it was just an act. 

“Fine, but please explain to me why this has affected you so.” 

“Remember when Millie and I dated, right after Hogwarts?” 

As if Draco could forget. Millie and Pansy had had one of the most volatile relationships that he’d ever witnessed, and he was Draco Malfoy, for Merlin’s sake. 

“Well, what we never told anyone was the reason that we ended it for good. It was exactly because of this—Millie wanted kids and I didn’t. At the beginning, we both thought that we could change the other, but by the end, we both realized that this was not something that we could ever compromise on.”

Draco had always suspected that this was the reason that they had gone their separate ways, but Pansy had never confirmed it until now. 

“Oh Pans, come here darling.” He gently pulled her up and into a hug. “I know how much you loved her.” 

“I did. I really did. But this was the one thing I couldn’t change. And Merlin, Draco, do you know how hard I’ve tried?” She moved back so that she could look at him through teary eyes. “You know how my mother is. She wouldn’t care if I shaved my head and got a Muggle sleeve of tattoos, as long as I gave her a grandchild when I was done.” She paused to take a breath, trying and failing, to stop the tears. “It would be so much easier if I could just give her what she wants. You’re lucky, you bastard.”

“Lucky?” Draco asked a bit incredulously. 

“Yes, you fucker. One, you’re a man, which means that you don’t have to deal with everyone and their mothers asking when you’re going to start popping them out. No matter that you’re a lesbian. No matter that you don’t want them. These strangers simply know what’s best for you.”

“But—”

“And two.” She held up a second finger to quiet him. “Two, you actually want children. You and your partner already have a surrogate, for Merlin’s sake. So don’t you dare try to tell me anything about this, Draco. I can’t take it, not from you of all people.”

“Okay.” Draco soothed. “Okay, darling. Please, let me hold you.” 

Pansy moved back toward Draco, leaning her head down to rest on his shoulder. He put his arm around her and squeezed gently. 

“In the interest of full disclosure,” he began haltingly, worried that Pansy would hit him with a hastily cast _Silencio_ just to shut him up, “I’m not so sure anymore about that second point.” 

“What? But you’ve wanted them for all the time that I’ve known you.” 

“I know that’s what I used to think, but recently, it hasn’t felt like it’s something that _I_ want.” 

“I think I get where you’re coming from. You mean the pressure from your parents, right?” 

“Yes, exactly. I never even had the chance to not want children because I was always told that having children was just what one did. It was expected of me and I saw no reason to question it. Well,” he amended, “not until I was much older.” 

“I realize now that maybe I was a bit unfair to you earlier,” Pansy said, turning to put her head on Draco’s chest. “You do know what it’s like to live with society’s expectations of you.”

“Not to the same extent that you do, that’s for certain,” he reassured. “But, to the extent that I am a pure-blood and my parents are pure-bloods and I was raised in a pure-blood culture where providing an heir was of utmost importance.”

“So what prompted this change?”

“Everything is becoming real. We have our appointment with Dr Bevins in a few weeks, and I was talking to Luna about being our surrogate mother, and she just has a way of making you see things in a different light.” 

“Are you going to talk to Harry?” 

“I can’t, Pans.” Draco tightened his arm around her, trying to stop himself from shaking. “I made a promise to him, for better or for worse. A family is too important to him—he’d be absolutely gutted.”

“But your feelings matter too, you know? You’re both in a partnership, and you’re equals.” 

“I know, I know, but with something like this, it’s different. And besides, I wouldn’t mind doing it for Harry.” 

“I really hope you’ll reconsider, Draco,” Pansy said quietly. “Take it from me, this is one thing that you cannot ever compromise on.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Draco, come on. No one at the hospital is going to care what you’re wearing,” Harry yelled through the open door. “I told Ron we’d be there in ten.” 

Contrary to Harry’s belief, Draco did know how to get dressed quickly. He’d been ready to go when he’d realized just what he would be walking into. Hermione had just had a baby. Everyone would expect him to be excited about it. He surely wouldn’t be able to escape talk of his and Harry’s upcoming surrogacy. Although he stood firmly by what he told Pansy, that didn’t make this any easier. 

“I’m ready,” Draco called, heading out of the bedroom and into the sitting room, where Harry was waiting by the Floo. 

“Thank the gods. I was about to go in there and drag you out, hair done or not.” He reached into the pot of Floo Powder sitting on the mantle and called out, “Queen’s Hospital.” 

Draco followed closely and prepared to step out of the fireplace, but ran straight into Harry as he did so. 

“Oof.” 

“Sorry. I forgot to wait long enough.” Ever since his first Floo journey had gone awry, Harry had always needed a moment after Flooing before he could step out of the way. Draco was usually very good at waiting the perfect amount of time, but his mind had been elsewhere. 

“It’s fine. It’s just been ages since you’ve forgotten.” Harry turned around and gave Draco a worried look. “Are you sure everything’s okay? You’ve been acting a bit strange lately.” 

“I’m fine,” Draco hastened to reassure. “It’s just, you know, this.” He gestured at the general hospital around them. “And on top of that, work has been a nightmare.” 

“You’d tell me if something was really the matter?” Harry entreated. 

“Yes, of course I would,” Draco lied. It was for both their sakes. 

“Okay, then.” Harry reached for Draco’s hand and Draco took it. “Let’s go see the baby.” 

He turned and started leading Draco down the hallway to the reception of Queen’s Hospital. It had originally been solely a Muggle hospital, but after the war, St Mungo’s had run out of space and desperately needed more beds. An old contract between the Minister for Magic and the Prime Minister had resulted in this—a hospital that now served both Muggle and Wizarding needs. “We’re here to see Hermione Granger.”

“Oh,” the Welcome Wizard said in surprise. “You’re Harry Potter.”

“Yes, yes, I’m Harry Potter, but please, we’re in a bit of a time crunch so can you just tell us where she is?” 

“Of course, of course. Let me just do this, and this, and okay, I need to check here.” 

Draco watched as the Welcome Wizard performed a variety of complex wand moves. 

“Aha! She’s on the sixth floor, room 258. Our lifts are over there and if you’ll just hand me your wand, I can put a spell that will guide you through the corridors.”

Harry, entirely too trusting by half, did little more than blink as he handed over his wand. The Welcome Wizard took it carefully, almost reverently, because he knew the power of what he was holding even if Harry sometimes forgot. He raised his own wand to perform the incantation and then handed it back to Harry. 

“You’re all set to go. Hope you enjoy your visit, Mr Potter.” 

“Mr Potter-Malfoy,” Harry corrected gently. 

“Oh yes, so sorry. I did read the tell-all that Rita Skeeter wrote in the _Prophet_. Mr Potter-Malfoy.” 

“Thank you.” They took off towards the lifts, following the soft glow of Harry’s wand once they reached the sixth floor. It led them straight to room 258. 

“Are you ready for this?” Harry asked. 

“I’m a Malfoy—we’re always ready.”

“That’s not what you said last week when all I wanted was for you to give me a good fucking.” 

“Harry James Potter-Malfoy,” Draco admonished. “We are in a public space, about to go meet our goddaughter, and you think language like that is appropriate?”

Harry just gave him a _look_. Draco ignored it. 

“Besides, I had had a bit too much to drink; it’s not a crime,” he defended himself hotly. “And I made up for it the morning after, and the next day, too.” 

“Oi, I thought I heard you two,” Ron called, stepping out of room 258. “Come on and get your sorry arses in here and meet your goddaughter.” He stepped back from the doorway and held his hand out gallantly. 

Harry went first, and Draco was not far behind. 

Upon entering the room, Draco was struck by the smell. It wasn’t a bad smell necessarily, but the antiseptic brought back things that he’d rather not think about. Lifetimes ago, when circumstances had been very different…

Draco was drawn out of his dark thoughts with what could only be described as a squeal coming from Harry. 

“She is absolutely precious, Hermione. Can I hold her?” Harry asked eagerly. “Did you choose a name yet? I think Harriet would suit her very well.” 

“I’m sure you do, Harry,” Hermione agreed. “Unfortunately, for you, we’ve decided to name her Rose. Rose Granger-Weasley.”

“Our little Rosie,” Ron echoed, and Draco had to stop himself from turning to give them some privacy at the raw emotion there. 

“You can hold her after you go and get me some chamomile tea. I want to speak to Draco for a bit.”

Draco, who’d been staring out the window, turned his head sharply at that. 

Hermione just gave him a knowing smile. “Please,” she added. 

That was all it took for the two of them to hurry out the door, Harry pausing at the threshold to give one last questioning look in their direction. 

“Now that that’s settled, do you want to hold her?” Hermione offered. 

Draco looked down at the tiny bundle in her arms and couldn’t imagine being responsible for such a fragile life. He shook his head. 

“Are you sure?” she asked once more, but Draco could tell that she already knew what he was going to say. “You know, you and Harry will be having one of your own soon.” 

Draco sighed. “I know, but I think it’ll be different because it will be mine. Isn’t there some innate bonding that connects parent and child?” 

“I think we both know that’s not always the case. Just like all important things in life, it’s a choice. I am making a choice to be the best parent that I can be, to do all that is in my power to give Rosie the best life that I can.” 

“I will make the same choice when it comes to my own child.”

“Oh Draco, I know that you will,” Hermione reassured. “I’m not so sure that it’s a choice you want to make, though.” 

He had thought he was doing a better job of hiding it, at least around Harry. What had given him away?

“Because Harry, bless his soul, is not the most observant person out there, I think you forget that other people can be observant. I’ve noticed how you’ve withdrawn recently when any talk of children comes up, when you think no one is watching. And here, in this room, I could see that you were struggling with a lot of conflicting emotions.”

Damn, when had Hermione Granger-Weasley become so good at reading him?

“And I know that you don’t need to hear this from me, but I think you do need to hear it from someone. It would be okay if you decided that you no longer wanted children. In fact, I’d even go so far as to say it’d be expected.”

Draco didn’t want to let Hermione’s words be any kind of comfort. He was too used to carrying around guilt and shame that he didn’t know what it would be like to let that go. 

“I know how much pressure you faced to have children, from your parents, from pure-blood society. And regardless of how I feel personally about all of that, it severely impacted your worldview. How could you have thought any differently when you were socialized from such a young age to believe it? But now, with everything that has been changing, I think that you’re starting to realize that maybe it’s not who you are or what you want. And that scares you.” 

“Since when did you become a Mind Healer?” Draco asked weakly. “I’ve said barely anything and you got all that?” 

“I’m a smart witch,” she said, “and I know you, Draco, and I know the society you were raised in.”

“So, what do I do about it?” 

“You know what you need to do. You need to talk to Harry.”

“I can’t do that,” Draco protested adamantly. It was the one thing he couldn’t do. “You know, probably better than anyone, how he feels about this. So I’m willing to do it for him. I’ve accepted it.” 

“Draco, I know that’s what you think, but you need to talk to him. He’ll listen to you.” 

But what if Harry didn’t listen? What if Harry decided that if Draco didn’t want to have his children, he’d find someone else who did?


	4. Chapter 4

Draco was nervous. He knew he didn’t look nervous, obviously. Months of living with the Dark Lord in one’s house and having the least emotive father would do that, but Draco wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. If pressed, he’d even go so far as to say that expressing emotion was...worth it. Sometimes. 

Harry, on the other hand, had never learned how to conceal his emotions. Draco could read him as he stood in the waiting room, from the tension of his shoulders to the way that he wouldn’t look anyone in the eyes to the way he was shifting from foot to foot as if he was on a gently rocking boat. Harry _was_ nervous. 

“It’ll be okay,” Draco said gently, reaching a hand up and placing it on Harry’s shoulder. Against Hermione and Pansy’s better judgment, he’d decided that he was going to do this. So now, he just had to get through it, one moment at a time. “This procedure is safe, and Luna wouldn’t have agreed to do this for us if she wasn’t entirely willing. You know that. The wind would change directions for her if that’s what she wanted.” 

Rather than soothing Harry, Draco’s words only seemed to make him more tense. “That’s just it,” Harry whispered faintly, for no one, it seemed, but himself. 

Draco waited patiently, two years of dating and over a year of marriage having taught him how to handle Harry in any number of his moods. 

A mediwizard dressed in lime-green healer’s robes stepped out of the room. “Mr and Mr Potter-Malfoy,” he began, “I have to ask if you’re sure that you want to continue with this procedure. After this point, there’s no going back. Ms Lovegood is ready, but I need the final confirmation from both of you. It’s really just a formality. You’ll both need to sign here,” he held out a form and indicated the line where they’d sign, “and then tap your wands here,” he held up a round object that looked like a large button, “and then you’ll be set.” 

Draco steeled himself for this final move. 

Harry made an aborted motion toward the paper, then stopped himself. 

Draco took a deep breath. He had made up his mind. He would do anything for Harry, had, in fact, done everything for him. He could never deny him anything, and that wasn’t going to change. Draco knew how important a family was to Harry and he wasn’t going to take that away from him. If this was what Harry wanted, then it was what Harry would get. 

He reached out for the paper, since Harry was still standing there doing a very good impression of someone who had been hit by a _Petrificus Totalus_. 

Hearing the paper rustle as Draco took it from the mediwizard’s hand seemed to wake Harry up. He grabbed it out of Draco’s hand and walked back a few steps, holding the form up high as if he was playing fetch with their Crup. 

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Harry asked, turning to face Draco entirely. His eyes were shining and the colour of his skin was too pale. 

“I’m sure if you’re sure,” Draco reassured him. This was just Harry’s bizarre way of making sure that Draco was entirely onboard for this, and he was, for Harry’s sake. 

“No, no, no,” Harry muttered. “No, I want to know if _you_ want this Draco. If I weren’t a factor, would you want this?” 

“That’s an absurd line of reasoning, Harry. If you weren’t here, I wouldn’t be doing this, would I? I can’t simply remove you from the equation, because you are the equation.”

Harry just shook his head, and Draco watched as the barest hint of a smile crept over his face. He looked down when he heard a rustling and saw that Harry had let the form go. 

“You know, someone who didn’t know you well might accept that non-answer, but, thankfully for both of us, I know you better than that.” He started walking towards Draco, his smile growing bigger with each step. “That was a lot of pretty words when a simple ‘no’ would’ve sufficed.”

“I only want to do what you want,” Draco began, but then quickly amended, “in this case.” 

Harry only smiled at him like a loon. 

Draco was confused, and he was sure that it was obvious. “Why are you smiling, Harry? And what about this?” He pointed towards the discarded form now lying on the floor.

“I think if you thought about it for a moment, that big brain of yours could figure it out.” 

It couldn’t be. No. It was too important. Harry would’ve said something if he’d changed his mind.

“But, because I can see that you’re still struggling, I’ll make it easy for you. Neither one of us wants to go through with this anymore. And we didn’t say anything earlier because we both thought the other person still did.” He shook his head fondly, still smiling. “We’re both fools who know a lot about sacrifice.” 

Draco couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. “But I thought having kids was the most important thing to you? That because of your childhood, it was all that you had ever wanted.” 

“I used to think that, yeah.” Harry nodded. “Someone helped me realize that it wasn’t kids that I wanted, but rather a family. And I already have that.” 

Draco couldn’t help himself, not when Harry was saying things like that. Not when he felt like he could’ve lost him. “Come here, you,” Draco said, reaching for Harry and pulling him into a hug, burying his face in Harry’s itchy sweater. 

“And what about you? I know how important an heir is for your family.” 

Draco pulled away slightly, but still held Harry firmly in his arms. “Someone also helped me realize that I didn’t actually want children—I’d just been socialized into thinking it was what I wanted.” 

“Hmm, I think we’ve both been talking to the same ‘someone.’” 

“Hermione,” they both said at the same time. 

“She’s one smart witch,” Draco agreed. 

“She is, unlike us. We’re fools, the both of us,” Harry said again. “I wish you would have said something earlier.”

“I wish you would have said something to me,” Draco parried. “But I am beyond thankful we both feel the same way, even though we were both too scared to say anything.” 

“I didn’t want to lose you,” Harry admitted quietly. 

“I didn’t want to lose you, either. I don’t think I could bear it if you left me.” 

“I’m never leaving you,” Harry said fiercely. “Never, Draco. You and me, we’re in this for life.”

It soothed Draco’s worried soul to hear those words. He pulled Harry into a kiss and didn’t let him go until they were both gasping for air. 

“You have to promise me, Draco. Promise me you’ll tell me when something this big comes up.” 

“You have to promise me, too.” 

Harry held up his pinky finger. 

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

“It’s a Muggle thing,” Harry explained. “It’s called a pinky promise. You raise your pinky, too.” 

Draco did as instructed. 

“I, Harry, promise to tell you, Draco, about anything important that has to do with our relationship, no matter if I’m afraid.” Harry looked at Draco expectantly. 

“I, Draco, promise to tell you, Harry, about anything important that has to do with our relationship, no matter if I’m afraid.” 

Harry moved his pinky finger close to Draco’s and curled it around Draco’s. “Pinky promise?”

“Pinky promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Comments and kudos are ♥  
> I love making new friends on [Tumblr](http://glittering-git.tumblr.com/) and [Dreamwidth!](https://glittering-git.dreamwidth.org/)


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